CMOS imagers (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor imagers) are well known. Images generated from CMOS or other imagers typically comprise thousands or even millions of picture elements called “pixels” arranged in rows and columns (array). Pixel cells contain photosensors. Each pixel cell produces a signal corresponding to the intensity of light impinging on its photosensor when an image is focused on the array by one or more lenses. These signals may be stored in a memory and displayed on a monitor, manipulated by software, printed to paper, or otherwise used to provide information about the image. The magnitude of the signal produced by each pixel is substantially proportional to the amount of light impinging on a respective photosensor.
One or more values, each usually comprising 8 or more bits, are typically associated with each pixel. In a grayscale image, just one value corresponding to brightness is associated with each pixel. In color images, three or four values are associated with each pixel, depending on the color space used by the imager or processing software. In the RGB color space, a red value (R), a blue value (B), and a green value (G) are associated with each pixel.
A raw image acquired with the use of a CMOS camera such as Lumenera LW175M contains certain artifacts. Current CMOS chips offer an automated image correction procedure that performs some image corrections. Recently, CMOS is being used as an optical detector for line confocal fluorescent imager, in the biomedical research field. However, the embedded image correction software does not provide sufficient quality images.
Correcting the root causes of false color artifacts requires additional hardware components or substitution of higher-quality hardware components, for example a pixel array with more pixels or lenses that refract varying wavelengths of light more evenly. These solutions are often impractical, particularly for low-cost imagers.
A less expensive method for reducing false color artifacts is desirable and provided by the current application.